My last two sits have been in less than clean or comfortable places.
This current one, the litter box smelled so bad, my eyes watered two roms away.
I’ve disinfected it and the area where it lives, bought cans of Febreeze and a large package of tea lite candles to help with the smell.
It’s a little better (I spray Febreeze twice a day and burn candles daily) but I think it’s in the carpet! It’s in the dining room and difficult to be anywhere on the main floor without smelling it. I’m afraid it’s going to be in my clothes!
The sit before last, the place was musty, smelled of old curry, and dirty. I had to wash dishes before I used them and aired out the entire place and again, used candles and febreeze. THere were also several insects, including two slugs (!!) that I got rid of. The HO left wet laundry in the washer and asked me to dry it on the indoor clothes line. And the guest bed was so hard I ended up sleeping on the owners bed with a blanket beneath me so I could sleep and so I didn’t have to take pain meds when I got up!
What do I say in my reviews? Do I rate them honestly or is there like a sitter code so sitters can know what’s what without things begin directly stated?
I didn’t mention anything about cleanliness or comfort in my reviews. Just praised the pets (who were wonderful) and the locations.
you need to be honest but kind. mention the great creatures about also mention the odors and dirt. it’s the only fair thing to do for future sitters. and rate your stars accordingly
Please be tactful and honest and deduct a star or 2 where appropriate. Of course mention the good things but phrase the bad so it’s a warning for future sitters to be aware of.
Sounds like you may have already written the reviews, but I think it’s best to be balanced. For example, starting off with the positives and praising the animals, location, hospitality of the hosts etc. followed by why you deducted a star or more, detailing the issues that would need to be addressed in order to receive five stars.
I think some things are pretty standard (i.e. I’ve had several home owners leave washing in the machine for me to dry. Also, slugs in even clean houses due to the weather), but then there are things that make the house less habitable, such as the litter tray, dirty dishes etc. These are things that are within the owner’s control and notable for the future. Then I’d end on a positive note, to thank them for the sit and wish them the best with future sits (since, evidently, you won’t be returning ).
I have never had a HO leave washing for me to dry. It would be pretty cheeky, IMO. Especially if it was anything other than stuff for me or the pets to use like towels, etc. If it was their personal clothes it would be beyond ridiculous. I’m not a laundry lady.
It is a bit cheeky I suppose, but doesn’t bother me. Sometimes they have changed the bedding, so I hang up the old sheets after they’ve been washed. Sometimes it’s just general clothes etc. they’ve washed before my arrival, to free up the washing machine for my use. I just thought it was usual since it’s happened to me on several occasions!
Would you have taken these sits if the previous sitter told about the smell and cleanliness in their review? What would you like others to have told you about? That is my guidelines for my reviews. If I’m not honest, there is really no point in writing a review. It is also in my opinion unfair to the hosts that put in an effort to make everything ready for the sitter if they don’t get any better than a filthy and smelly home. I regard a truthful review as a gift also to the host. It will give them an opportunity to improve.
It can be done honestly and kind. You can also beat around the bush should you wish to.
Wrap it up and put a bow on it.
«The home is located in a beautiful setting.
I put in a few hours of cleaning on arrival, and had a nice stay with (pet). There is lots to do and see in the area.»
How can I write a review that will be helpful to future Sitters? If you wrote something like, “The house was not as clean as I would have liked” and took off 2 stars, I would definitely avoid the Sit. If you said “The bed was not comfortable,” I would avoid the Sit. If you said, “There was a strong odor from the litter box,” I would avoid the Sit.
These are facts which should be shared. Remember that reviews are blind, so the Owner cannot read it until they have also written theirs, or until 14 days have passed, and at that point, they cannot write a review. They can only respond to your review.
How can I help the Owner to be more successful in the future? Hopefully Owners respond to reviews by making changes, but there are no guarantees. And some things are not fixable. In addition to what I put in the reviews, I also write a note to the Owner or have a conversation on the phone, if they are open to constructive comments. This advice would include things that might not even be in the review, like “The motion-detector light that you have in the side yard woke me up every night when the raccoons visited, and the light also makes the dog bark, so you might want to turn that off when you have a Sitter here.” or “Your dinner plates tend to scuff your beautiful dining table, so you might want to show Sitters where you keep the placemats and ask them to use them.”
Reviews are NOT about trying to be nice or polishing a bad situation. They are about providing feedback and a warning for future potential Sitters and Owners.
I would say “the bed was not comfortable” is not necessarily a fact, as a comfortable bed means different things to different people. It would be more useful to say “the bed is quite/extremely firm”, and people can use that information to determine if it would be ok for them.
Please leave honest, factual reviews covering both the positives & negatives. Put yourself in the place of the next sitter: what would you want to know?
I have written one review for the last sit but still have 5 days left in my current one.
Besides the litter box, there was old greasy crumbs between the dirty stove top (hob) and the wall, the air fryer had old food bits and grease in it, the pans had scraped teflon in the bottom (I bought my own pan at the last sit cuz their’s were gross, so it wasn’t a problem), both the kitchen and bathroom trash were full, there was a tampon applicator in the washing machine and even the high chair tray had old food and crumbs on it. There’s only the one bed and I’m not sure they even changed the sheets, but it took 2 days to dry another set I found, so I just slept on those for 2 nights…also, the pets keep pooping on the floor - not sure if it’s the cats or the dog. I keep trying to get the dog to go out into the fenced back yard but most of the time she refuses…and she barks ALL THE TIME and jumps on me and anyone we meet while walking - she’s a small dog, but I avoid people on our walks… OK rant over lol! 5 days to go… I think I was spoiled by my first 2 sits which were wonderful (and clean lol)
Gosh, you poor thing. If a couple of those things were the case, it could be overlooked. However, there is so much about this sit that indicates the home owners just don’t really care enough to provide a habitable environment for the sitter. Not even taking out the trash…
If I were in your position (and I recently was in a less than ideal sit!) I would draft a review now, while you’re still there. It is easy to think in hindsight that it wasn’t so bad, because you’re away from the sit and will never have to go back. Being upfront about the poor conditions is easier while you’re in the throws of it, rather than looking back and thinking perhaps it was more tolerable than it was.
I agree with @strawberryjen; the draft will also give you time to edit it until you feel comfortable enough to publish it.
Factual, unemotional reviews are very useful for other sitters and usually safe for the reviewer. Perhaps it’s not worth mentioning everything but I think giving a couple of examples could help get the correct picture.
There are real experts writing tactful reviews on this forum and I and sure you’ll get great suggestions.
Don’t get discouraged, I think you have just been unlucky.
If you think the dog is pooping on the floor, you might ask the Owners if that is “normal” for that dog. We once watched a dog who pooped inside a few times, even when the dog had full access to the yard.
When we asked the Owners about this, they shared that the dog typically poops only during their walks, and not in the yard! So, we adjusted the walking schedule, and the dog pooped during the morning walk, and the problem was solved!
In your review of this Sit, you don’t have to go into the gory details, but knock off at least 2 stars for “cleanliness” and say something like, “The house was not as clean as I would have liked, and the trash was full in the kitchen and bathroom on arrival. The sheets on the bed were dirty. The litter box was very smelly.” Also knock off some stars for pet behavior. “One of the pets routinely pooped on the kitchen floor. I am still not sure if it was the cat or the dog!”
Most Sitters would steer clear of this Sit, based on these comments. You will never see them again! Please be honest.
strawberryjen - I’m with you. I’ve had HO who in the rush to leave only remembered too late about washing/drying stuff. Not a biggie to me. For me it’s about respect: if I feel welcomed and respected - I can tolerate a lot of small stuff!
But what this Sitter is citing? OMG! We need to be clear & honest in our reviews!
AND look for red flags before committing to a sit.
We were ready to commit to one sit before the Video Chat…
During the Video Chat it was clear the Post pix were VERY dated, the house was in chaos & during the chat the HO added an “OBTW” that it wouldn’t be one dog but their dog and the neighbor’s puppy (WTH?)
Yeah - no.
I agree. It’s an overall sense of respect, and sitters can tell when that is not present, whether in the HO’s behaviour or the condition of the house. It’s always helpful to spot red flags that haven’t been properly presented in the pics during a video call!
During my most recent sit, I was forthright in my review about the aggressiveness of the dogs and their behavioural issues. When it came to the review being published (well over a week later), I cringed at what the home owner would be reading, now the sit was in the past. However, I quickly reminded myself that had been my experience and if she was annoyed about it, perhaps she could make it a more comfortable experience for future sitters.
I have had owners leave washing for me to hang up to dry then fold for them. It can be a bit annoying in winter when it might not be dry in time for you to do your own washing.
Tell it like it is, @Lizz , state exactly how things were left for you and how you dealt with it - which is why you docked stars off. I don’t understand this concept of not telling future sitters the truth about the situation, it’s your job to make sure future sitters have an educated choice as to whether they apply for a sit or not.
Please be honest in your review. Talk about the negatives and don’t ignore them, or you’re doing a disservice to other sitters. I recently did a sit where the previous sitter gave all fives (and did not mention the house or cleanliness at all) and therefore, my expectations were mismanaged and I was really disappointed. Had I known the reality, I might have done the sit anyway, but I could have prepared myself for the situation.
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